The present invention relates to a handy phone or similar terminal unit and more particularly to a character inputting method for a terminal unit using a seesaw key and a device therefor.
It is a common practice for the user of a handy phone to input desired characters on numeral keys arranged on the phone. However, this kind of character inputting scheme will be problematic when the numeral keys are omitted in the future, e.g., when the handy phone is reduced in size to such a degree that it cannot accommodate the numeral keys or when the portion of the phone accommodating the numeral keys is used for another purpose. In light of this, there is an increasing demand for a handy phone with a small size, simple character inputting scheme.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-34620, for example, discloses inputting means replacing the conventional numeral keys or similar button type keys so as to reduce the size of a terminal unit. The inputting means includes particular operating portions each being movable back and forth in a particular direction. Inputting means detects the physical directions of movement of the above operating portions. In a character input mode, control means switches, based on the output of the inputting means, characters and symbols to appear on display means or fix an input. However, the problem with this conventional inputting means is that it renders the terminal unit sophisticated in construction and difficult to operate.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 1-211019 and 1-211020.